Williams rose to fame during South Africa's march to the 1995 Rugby World Cup title. A representative of Western Province at Currie Cup level, he made his Test debut against Argentina in 1993, scoring a try. An injury prior to the start of the tournament ruled him out of the World Cup but a suspension to winger Pieter Hendricks, for his part in a brawl against Canada, allowed Williams a reprieve after he had recovered. He returned to the side with four tries against Samoa in the quarter-finals and maintained his place through to their victory in the final against the All Blacks. Later in his career Williams was critical of the quota system employed in South African rugby and also spoke out against racism in the national squad in his book Chester. Following his retirement from playing Williams took up coaching with the Cats and South Africa Sevens with mixed success.